Over at io9, Esther Inglis-Arkell ranked ten classic YA books she wished were turned into movies.
I wasn’t actually familiar with those, but it definitely got me thinking. Which book do you wish were turned into a movie?
This is a tricky, tricky choice for me. On the one hand, classics like The Great Gatsby and Moby-Dick are difficult to transition to the screen, which gives me pause about picking something too literary. On the other hand, who knew that The Godfather would have been so elevated in Francis Ford Coppola’s hands?
It turns out that some of my initial choices are already in the works, including Child 44, which is currently in production, Spin by Robert Charles Wilson, which is rumored to be considered for a TV show, and Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem, also in development.
Thus, I would have to go with The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon. What about you?
(And no, you’re not allowed to answer “my own!”)
Art: The Photographer Sescau by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Every time I see a terrible romcom I wonder why more romantic novels aren't turned into films–they'd have to be better! Jennifer Crusie's would make great films. I'd love to see Welcome to Temptation on the big screen.
RAILSEA, by China Mieville
THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO (series), by Patrick Ness
SHIP BREAKER (series), by Paolo Bacigalupi
PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ, by A.S. King
BROOKLYN, BURNING, by Steve Brezenoff
and bonus (because it's actually getting made now by Sony): GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE, by Andrew Smith
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta.
– Margaret Atwood's MaddAddam Trilogy (Oryx and Crake, The Year of the Flood, MaddAddam)
– World Made by Hand – trilogy by James Howard Kunstler
– Redshirts by John Scalzi
– Daemon, Freedom(tm) by Daniel Suarez (directed by James Cameron)
– Star's Reach by John Michael Greer
– The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
– Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
– Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson
I was going to say Kavalier and Clay!! I adore that book and I think it would actually work as a movie in the right hands.
I would also love to see more high fantasy movies/shows…it's a pretty big investment for any book that isn't, say, the Lord of the Rings, but I wish more studios would take a chance on newer fantasy fare. A Lies of Locke Lamorra movie would be awesome. Red Rising is another one that I feel is very movie-ready.
I haven't heard of a single one of those YA books, but they all sound awesome (in their own crazy way).
Sticking with YA–I'd like to see a movie of After by Francine Prose.
And, otherwise, maybe The Alienist by Caleb Carr. Great details, very cinematic.
"The Catcher in the Rye." Maybe some day we'll see it happen, but a good or even great adaptation wouldn't be enough – it'll have to be a masterpiece.
Someone should look into two of the William Morris tales that influenced Tolkien: The Well at the End of the World or The Wood Beyond the World.
Both are quest fantasies with young men, enchanted woods, and lovely maidens. They'd make marvelous movies.
The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King! I love love love that book. It's fantastic storytelling at its best. Part of me really wants to see it on film, but another part of me is concerned Hollywood would ruin it. So I'd be worried but still excited if it was made into a film.
Happy reading and writing! from Laura Marcella @ Wavy Lines
Skin Tight by Carl Hiaasen
I Like Laura's suggestion of The Eyes of the Dragon, but one I most hope for is Kindred by Octavia Butler. I can't imagine why it has been overlooked.
Oh, so many. Off the top of my head:
EON by Alison Goodman
HEIST SOCIETY by Ally Carter (has been optioned)
LEVIATHAN (+series) by Scott Westerfeld
CINDER (+series) by Marissa Meyer
I watched Vampire Academy but I thought the pacing and reveal of information was too fast. I think it would do better as a TV show since it's 6 intense books.
I think it would be interesting to see "Infinite Jest" by David Foster Wallace turned into either a movie or TV series. I would also like to see "Wonderland" by Joyce Carol Oates be made into a movie. Then there's "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" by Susanna Clark directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp as Jonathan Strange and Michael Caine as Mr. Norrell.
Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
Wool by Hugh Howey
These two take science fiction to a whole new level, one deep, one slow. Love them both.
Le Tigri di Mompracem, by Salgari
The Man-Kzin Wars, Niven, Pournelle, et. all.
Ringworld, Niven
I read Level 7 by Mordecai Roshwald in 1962 (I was 17) and have always thought it would be especially challenging to translate to film. I don't think it's ever been done.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. I LOVED that book as a kid!
Sacred Hunger written by the late Barry Unsworth was entirely cinematic in my mind. I really can't envision anyone but Terence Mallick directing this film. God I would die!!! That novel was the grandest trip of my life.
I remember hearing of three or four of those YA books when they were released in the seventies and eighties. Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L'Engle was one that made an impact upon readers of the time. I'd like to see all those I recall made into movies.
As this was a time when I read more than any other period, my suggested book comes from this era, too. The Dark Angel by Meredith Ann Pierce, published in the early 80's, was captivating for me. On the back cover is a testimonial by Madeleine L'Engle, herself: 'One of the loveliest books I've read in a long time'. I thought the same.
I'd love to see The Integral Trees by Larry Niven. Or the Swords books by Saberhagen, and the Berserker stories by Saberhagen. I think there's a real dearth of science fiction in movies currently and I'd love to see more good stuff!
EAST WIND, RAIN by Caroline Paul.
ISLAND OF THE SEQUINED LOVE NUN and FLUKE, by Christopher Moore.
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
THE ALLIOMENTI SAGA (BOOK 1-6) by Alex Albrinck. I think it would make an interesting series.
The Abhorsen Series by Garth Nix
The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye. It was a so-so mini-series several years ago but could be done amazingly on the big screen!
John Irving's "In One Person." It won a Lambda award for the way things were portrayed during the height of the AIDS crisis. But Irving is quirky about allowing the names of his characters to be used in films…why Simon Birch became Owen Meany. So I'm not hopeful about this one.
GONE WITH THE WIND.
Okay, in a more serious vein, I would love to see them make a movie of 2030, Albert Brook's darkly funny novel about America's doomed future.
I love Tamora Pierce's books. It think they would make a great movie franchise. Or even just a great HBO show.
Which books would I wish were turned into a movie?
Mine! lol
Oh I TOTALLY agree with Gwen about the Tamora Pierce books. The Protectorate of the Small series would be awesome as a movie.
But I'd really like to see SILVER SPARROW by Tayari Jones made into a movie.
Easy. Neuromancer by William Gibson. It almost happened as well, Chris Cunningham (of Aphex Twin fame) was booked in to do it and it fell apart. The tech and idea is too 90s now and it is kind of pointless doing a historical future movie.
Maybe everyone else is sick of the dystopian thing (I'm not, hehe), but I loved Allie Condie's Matched trilogy—dystopian romance plus poetry?!? How could it get better?! 🙂
Before I read all the way down, my first thought was Kavalier and Clay. What a great book, and I can see the movie with some judicious animation for the comic bits. Yes.
Was disappointed that Billy Bob Thornton's Peace Like a River didn't seem to fly. I'd love that film.
Definitely Epic by Conor Kostick and Airborn by Kenneth Oppel!
Declare by Tim Powers. Cold war with magic. Would be so cinematic
The Coldfire Trilogy by C.S. Friedman. Before encountering Tom Hiddleston's acting I didn't think anyone was capable of playing Gerald Tarrant, but I am now convinced Hiddleston could do it.
I always have the same answer to this question (because it never gets made!): Sabriel.
And I just listened to a podcast where I learned that Garth Nix has actually written a screenplay himself (b/c he started out writing screenplays), and now I want a Sabriel movie more than ever.